Close 'confidante' of Dalai Lama attended Panchen Lama's Kalachakra Initiation?

[Vajraprotector]

BIG NEWS

Amchok Rinpoche, abbot emeritus of Gaden Shartse Monastery who defected to China and was granted citizenship in one day. He was the biographer of the Dalai Lama and close 'confidante' for over 20 years. H.H. Dalai Lama and CTA have been totally silent on his defection to China. Amchok Rinpoche was also seen to attend two days of the Kalachakra ceremony by Panchen Lama in Tibet recently according to Kyabje Gangchen Rinpoche. Apparently Amchok Rinpoche was tired of hiding his practice of Dorje Shugden in Dharamsala for decades.

Recently during His Holiness the Panchen Lama’s first and historic Kalachakra initiation on 21 July 2016 in Shigatse, Tibet, the abbot emeritus of Ganden Shartse Monastery, Amchok Rinpoche attended the first few days of the event. There, he made a spiritual and karmic connection with the Panchen Lama.

Amchok Rinpoche’s background is quite interesting as he is a scholar, known for his literary skills in Tibetan and is a recognized reincarnated Tulku from Amdo, Tibet. This is actually the same area from which the Dalai Lama comes from. After completing his Geshe studies at Ganden Shartse Monastery in South India, he proceeded to Dharamsala and worked at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA). He was very close to the Dalai Lama and worked as his personal Tibetan biographer. He would often be summoned by the Dalai Lama to attend various rituals and sermons.

He resided in Dharmasala for nearly two decades, after which he was appointed the abbot of Ganden Shartse Monastery, where he resided during his tenure. Following the completion of his tenure, he returned to Dharamsala to be near the Dalai Lama and his government, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).

However, in a recent and stunning turn of events, Amchok Rinpoche declared that his root Guru was none other than Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. He went to the Chinese embassy in Delhi and he received his visa to travel to China within one day. He packed up his belongings and flew to China where he was well-received and granted Chinese citizenship immediately. Amchok Rinpoche had a few students in Ganden Shartse, South India. Those who happened to be Geshes have, since then, also left India for Tibet and China.

Amchok Rinpoche is a strong disciple of Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and a practitioner of Dorje Shugden. For many years he had to keep his practice a secret as he lived in Dharamsala, near the Dalai Lama. Like many other people, he paid lip service to the Dalai Lama in order to feign giving up Dorje Shugden’s practice. However, he did not in fact do so. It is said within the Tibetan communities all over the world and even in the three great Monasteries of Ganden, Sera and Drepung, that many still practice Dorje Shugden. They do not see the purpose of banning Dorje Shugden. Rather than bringing unity, the ban has only brought further disparity to an already fragmented society.

Many Tibetans, even those outside of the monastic communities, who traditionally have not had a connection to Dorje Shugden practice, now whisper among themselves about the ban having no purpose and bringing no benefit to the Tibetan people. Evidently, Amchok Rinpoche tired of hiding his practice and decided that enough was enough. He packed up his belongings and literally defected to China.

More and more Geshes and scholars as well as ordinary monks are tired of the ban. They know there is nothing wrong with Dorje Shugden. They have to feign giving up the practice although they continue in secret. They see the blatant persecution against practitioners who are open about their worship of Dorje Shugden. They cannot reconcile with the turmoil that they see within the Tibetan communities. Therefore, many of them just like Amchok Rinpoche have opted to defect back to China. Surprisingly, they escaped China for freedom but the freedom they sought in India was nothing but farce since they were under the oppressive regime of the CTA (Tibetan government-in-exile located in Dharamsala). So they decided to defect back to China.

Amchok Rinpoche has been very well-received in China, in his monastery and also among his peers. China has really opened her arms up for him. He has set an example for many other Tibetan lamas, Geshes, scholars, teachers and ordinary folk, showing them that if they returned back to Tibet, their lives will be much better, they will have freedom of religion and practice.

He was recently seen attending the Panchen Lama’s Kalachakra initiation, which would have irked the CTA leadership in Dharamsala. From the side of those who continue to support the CTA, there has been no comment regarding this high-profile defection of someone close to the Dalai Lama, his own personal biographer. No doubt this would have embarrassed the Dalai Lama, who has remained silent over the issue. As time goes on, we will see that what China and Tibet has to offer is so much better than what the Tibetans living in the refugee communities of India are given. India affords every freedom for the Tibetans, except for religious freedom which is curtailed by the CTA.

It seems that Amchok Rinpoche will not, cannot and refuses to give up his practice of Dorje Shugden and for this purpose has defected back to Tibet. This is the latest update on Amchok Rinpoche. We wish him well for his bravery and integrity.

Read more here: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/features/a-dalai-lama-insider-returns-to-china-has-the-defection-begun/

[grandmapele]

Amchok Rinpoche is only keeping his samaya with this Guru and practicing the real dharma. He is after a Geshe and a highly attained lama. He's just quietly doing what is right for dharma and the benefit of beings.

I am very happy to hear of this. He made a very bold and fast move as he knew that if there is any delay there will be big problems for him. The CTA will not take kindly to what will be seen as "betrayal" in his "defection".

May more people be able to find the real truth and follow the real dharma and not their negativities tied them down. May the dharma bring them mindfulness and awareness to have peace, love and harmony.

[SabS]

How wonderful and courageous for Amchok Rinpoche to finally follow his true heart and returned to China where he is able to continue with Protector Dorje Shugden practise without fear of threat and harassment. He had been maintaining his clean samaya with his Guru, H.H. Trijang Rinpoche all this while and practised in secret. This ban and the secrecy of his practise must have weighed heavy on him. Now he has so much freedom in Tibet and China who welcomed him and gave him back his monastery, where he is currently Abbot. His students who are Geshes had also mostly left, either to Tibet or China. Imagine the effect of his defection has on the Dalai Lama, CTA and the Tibetans-In-Exile!

Everyone would be wondering that if such a close confidant of the Dalai Lama could defect back to Tibet/China, then there must be really something wrong with the situation in India. After all aren't China suppose to be the enemy? And to declare that he is a DS practitioner, a practise given by his Guru, H.H. Trijang Rinpoche, he must have shocked everyone in Dharamsala. He is declaring that to practise DS is right and he values his samaya with his Guru more than the close friendship with the Dalai Lama, a man of powerful stature and charisma. As more and more learn of his freedom within Tibet/China and not the lies told by CTA of persecution and torture, they too will start to wish for the same. After all it has been close to 60 years away from their home and finally their wish may just become reality. After all what have they received from the Dalai Lama and CTA but broken promises and most of all painful separation of families, friends and acquaintances into Shugden practitioners and Anti-Shugden. On top of that, they see how the Dalai Lama and CTA persecute and induce their followers to abuse and deny the Shugden practitioners their freedom and rights. I am sure, they are very tired of all the CTA's propaganda and double standard practises.

With the informal agreement between India and China on the Tibetan-In-Exile and CTA after the Dalai Lama's passing, more will be worried of being made Indian citizens and loosing their Tibetan identities. So maybe an exodus will begin for them to return to Tibet/China. CTA after all these years of abusing their powers and fattening their own pockets, does not favour much with their own people and certainly will not be welcomed into Tibet/China. Why would China want trouble makers in her country to stir up problems? And India certainly don't need the CTA around when the refugees become its citizens. Hmm I guess the CTA may just need to go to US and be nobodies as they are useless without the charisma of the Dalai Lama. Aww, end of the road for CTA.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

So relieved to read of Amchok Rinpoche's safe escape from Dharmsala and have arrived China without any problems. I am rejoicing that Rinpoche can finally be open with his Dorje Shugden practice without fear of offending anti Shugden people around him. Hopefully this episode will drive more Shugden practitioners who are practicing in secret to bravely unite and continue to campaign for the lifting of the ban.

May the Tibetans also realize that their ruling Government is not having the citizens' interest in mind when they destroy the unity of the people when the ban was imposed.

[dsnowlion]

That is interesting NEWS indeed! Well if PANCHEN LAMA was so FAKE as the Tibetan exile shenanigans are saying... then WHY would Amchok Rinpoche attend the Kalachakra teachings? It is like a BIG SLAP on Dharamsala's face no? So are they going to call Amchok Rinpoche a "chinese spy" now like how they have been name calling a few lamas like Gangchen Rinpoche, Geshe Kelsang, Tsem Rinpoche etc just to name a few.

WHY NO ONE from DHARAMSALA has said a SINGLE word to address Amchok Rinpoche the "Chinese spy" Why no one send him death threats etc? Why and how did Dalai Lama not spot this being so close to him? Is the Dalai Lama clairvoyant or not? What is going on? The more questions I ask the more the whole BAN/advice against Dorje Shugden becomes a HUGE sham or a very good staged show to bring Dorje Shugden to China? Well leave it to you guys to think about it, cos otherwise none of this makes any sense to me.

But one thing is for sure Dorje Shugden is an enlightened protector that true practitioners will stand by and continue to be devoted towards and that we can see. Amchok Rinpoche going to China and attending Kalachakra by this Panchen Lama shows us a clear sign that perhaps in the very very near future, when the Dalai Lama has gone into clear light, this Panchen Lama will rise and be the leader of Tibetan Buddhism as a whole... and guess what He is a Dorje Shugden practitioner and Lama, and guess what he will confer Shugden sogtae to not just China but the world! How many millions would that be over time?

[pgdharma]

It is rejoicing news to know that Amchok Rinpoche is open with his Dorje Shugden practice and a very brave move that he has defected to China despite the risks of being scorned and branded as a traitor by the Tibetan government.  Hopefully his actions will inspire many more lamas to come forth and be opened to their practice.

[DharmaDefender]

So lets look at the two main points:

• Amchok Rinpoche left Dharamsala and willingly went back to China
• Amchok Rinpoche went to receive teachings and initiations from the Panchen Lama, indicating he believes in this Panchen Lama being the real incarnation. And even if the Panchen Lama isnt the real deal, Amchok Rinpoche now has the Panchen Lama as one of his gurus

Cynics might argue that Amchok Rinpoche was forced to attend the Panchen Lamas teachings but then how do you explain his defection back to China? He was in 'freedom' in Dharamsala when he made the decision to go back to China. So what more does Dharamsala want to say? That he was forced? He was held at gunpoint to do this? Bollox. Who held him at gunpoint in Dharamsala to go back to China?

It would therefore suggest that even with the Panchen Lamas teachings, Amchok Rinpoche went on his own accord and hence, the very real problem with all of this is that Amchok Rinpoche did it all very willingly. Despite what Dharamsala wants to insist, the fact remains that people are not stupid. They can examine the evidence and conclude the truth for themselves. And eventually, when theyve had enough of being exploited, theyll go wherever has the most freedom and opportunity for them.

Isnt ironic that whatever Dharamsalas propaganda may be, theres now more freedom and opportunity in China than in India? What are Dharamsala going to do to stop a wave of Tibetans defecting back into China?

[DharmaSpace]

Sooner or later the Tibetans in exile will realize that, there is absolutely no benefit to hand around in India.

At least back in China controlled Tibet, they have freedom of religion, better economic prospects and better future compared to just staying back in India. They have 1/2 greatest economy in the world behind the development of Tibet.

Like many of the Lamas who eventually went back to relying on Dorje Shugden. Amchok Rinpoche also reaffirmed his root teacher is Trijang Rinpoche, hence to me Amchok Rinpoche's spirituality commitment was more important for him than anything else, having suppressed his true allegiance for more than 20 years now.
I am sure many Tibetans and Lamas would think the Dorje Shugden issue would not last so long, but it has so one has to make a decision and a stand eventually.